REVEALED: US military pilots have been hit by ‘Chinese lasers’ 20 TIMES in the last 10 months while flying near a disputed island chain in the Pacific
Planes flashed by lasers while flying over the highly militarized East China Sea
US military believes attacks could have been at the request of Chinese officials
China angrily denied the reports and called them ‘groundless and fabricated’
Follows similar strike on a US military base in Djibouti, east Africa, in September
By RORY TINGLE
DAILYMAIL.COM
22 June 2018
Lasers have been used to target US military pilots flying over the Pacific 20 times since September, according to officials, who pointed the finger of blame at China.
The incidents, the latest of which occurred within the last two weeks, have all taken place over the highly militarized East China Sea, which is home to islands claimed by both China and Japan.
Although none of the attacks have caused injuries, they appear similar to an incident in the East African country of Djibouti earlier this year, when two US pilots suffered minor eye problems which the military said originated from a Chinese base.
China angrily denied the latest claims, reported CNN, with foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang calling them ‘totally groundless and purely fabricated’.
The East China Sea, like the neighboring South China Sea, is heavily patrolled by Navy ships from both China and Japan, who have regularly been involved in face-offs described as dangerous by both sides.
The Senkaku Islands are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu. The US has repeatedly reaffirmed its support for Japan’s ownership of the islands, much to the anger of the Chinese.
American officials do not necessarily believe the laser strikes were carried out by the Chinese military, but maintain there is a likelihood they were done by people acting for the Chinese government.
A Marines spokesman told Aviation Week & Space Technology they originated ‘from a range of different sources, both ashore and from fishing vessels’.
US officials refused to say whether the lasers were military-grade, but even regular store-bought lasers can threaten the safety of pilots.
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